The invention relates to a messaging system. More particularly, the invention relates to a Packet Telephony Messaging (PTM) scheme for telephone and personal computer (PC) messaging.
Currently, many countries charge differing rates for international phone calls. In fact, in some instances these rates can be dramatically different. For example, an international call between two parties located in Japan and the United States can be much more expensive if the call originates in Japan rather than the United States.
As a result, several products have been developed that permit users to originate international phone calls in the country offering lower international call rates. In essence, these products permit a first user to send a message to a second user indicating that the second user should xe2x80x9ccall-backxe2x80x9d the first user. These products are generally referred to as xe2x80x9ccall-back messagingxe2x80x9d (CBM) devices.
Conventional CBM devices utilize existing circuit-switched networks to send call-back messages. Typically, a first party would dial a number from a first country to a second party in a second country, with the number uniquely identifying the second party. The call-back messaging device would then automatically initiate a new call originating in the second country from the second user back to the first user in the first country. The new call would typically utilize the same network which was used to send the initial call-back message.
These call-back messaging devices, however, are unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. For example, in many instances a call-back message would be sent without the first user incurring any calling costs, sometimes in violation of regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This would be accomplished using techniques such as xe2x80x9cin-band-signalingxe2x80x9d and implied messaging. These devices would use direct inward dialing (DID) and an unanswered call to trigger dial-back capabilities, thereby avoiding any charges being assessed by the telephone service provider in the country that initiated the call-back message.
In addition to potentially violating FCC regulations, conventional CBM devices lack robustness. These devices are capable of delivering messages only to a telephone, and not other terminal devices such as a facsimile machine, voice mail service, answering machine, pager and so forth. Further, these devices are limited in terms of the type of call-back messages they could deliver, often relying upon a simple ringing sound at the recipient""s telephone set.
In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a substantial need exists for a new messaging device which solves the above-discussed problems.
These needs and other needs are met by a method and apparatus for telephony messaging based on a network of packet telephony messaging (PTM) servers. A message is received at an originating PTM server from an originator for delivery to a target device for a recipient. The message is stored at the originating PTM server. The message is routed from the originating PTM server (possibly via a second and subsequent PTM servers) over a first network to a destination PTM server located near the target device. The recipient is notified of the message by the destination PTM server. The message is delivered to the target device from the destination PTM server over the second network in response to a request by the recipient.